Readers Write: American history, health care, aging

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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When the Trump regime is over and we put all the pieces back together, I hope as interpretive displays are returned — such as the one at the Dutch cemetery for Black American World War II soldiers — that they will be amended. There should be an added paragraph noting that for a brief time in the mid-2020s the display, along with others pertaining to Indigenous peoples in national parks, displays at the Smithsonian and so many more, were removed during a time when America again faced fascism and its main tenet of racism on its own soil. Try as they may to rewrite reality, Trumpians don’t seem to grasp that history is based on facts, and facts prevail over time. Addendums telling of the attempt to edit history by removing displays will help provide a factual picture of the current times, and some will no doubt wish to deny those facts, too.

Mary McGarry Woitte, Eden Prairie

Health care costs and specifically Affordable Care Act coverage and subsidies will be an important issue in the upcoming elections. So far both Democrats and Republicans have pivoted to hyperbole and half-truths to support their positions. That is not helpful to voters. Instead, we need facts from which to evaluate alternative paths. To develop those facts, I consulted the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which analyzes congressional policies on a nonpartisan basis and provides the results to politicians and the public. I believe it’s the best source for balanced, fact-based information.

Fact 1: The ACA is the law of the land and will continue to provide subsidies through the government-supported health insurance exchange for people who earn less than 400% of poverty level income. Doing nothing does not impact the availability of those subsidies. Those with income above the 400% poverty level can access the ACA exchange but not get a subsidy. Very poor people can access Medicaid.

Fact 2: During the pandemic, short-term legislation was passed to, among other things, eliminate income requirements to qualify for subsidies. This legislation expires at the end of 2025 and is the issue over which the Democrats forced a government shutdown. The government was shut down to extend subsidies for those above 400% of the federal poverty level.

Fact 4: Less than 10% of U.S. households use the ACA marketplace.

Once the facts are laid out, it’s easier to argue various policy alternatives. For example, should those who earn more than the 400% poverty level get subsidies paid for by all other taxpayers? Should there be restrictions on immigrants receiving subsidies? Should verification be aggressive to make fraud more difficult? Should a program impacting less than 10% of households be used to cause pain for 100% of U.S. citizens (the government shutdown)? The real issue is the high cost of insurance under the ACA, and doling out subsidies to relatively well-off Americans and immigrants won’t change that fact!

Casey Whelan, Plymouth

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Is anyone satisfied with the care received or cost incurred by their health care plan? Has anyone’s care gotten better? Or cost not risen? I know our attention spans are short and captured by the daily onslaught of end-of-the-world stories, but doesn’t our country’s heath care system deserve a serious review and action plan? I was a small-business owner, and we provided health care benefits. In the 1990s we had employees who were single and couldn’t even spend the $250 per month we provided. Today, our health care cost is now more than our mortgage. Seriously, what happened?

Expect millions of Americans to drop their plan because, well, they have no other option. I suspect the solution will be “Medicare for All” or some sort of universal plan. Before we determine the “fix,” we really need to know how it got so bad. And while I won’t hold my breath, it sure would be great to get an apology from those who got it so wrong.

Dave Vernon, Stillwater

Be warned: There appears to be a serious epidemic in this country. No, it is not HIV, not COVID, not flu, not some awful disease. No, from what I see, the epidemic that must be eradicated is aging.

Yup, must be. Why do I say this? Well, what else can I believe? Every time I turn on the television or listen to the radio, I hear about all these wonderful products that will prevent me and other women from aging or showing signs of age. Anti-aging skin, anti-aging eyes, no more wrinkles if I use a particular product. My skin will be firm, and I must use the product that will eliminate age spots.

Then, when I go to the pharmacy, I see rows and rows of skin care products that will prevent me from aging. I guess there is something really terrible in being afflicted with aging skin.

Besides the aging of the face, there are even products that promise to lift and firm other parts of the body. Then, of course, in order to be sure to eliminate the signs of the disease of aging, there is always surgery.

I remember, though, that when I saw my mother age, have wrinkles and not-so-firm flesh, to me and my father, she was beautiful. I must be dense — when I saw someone who experienced life and all that life gives, both the good and the bad, I thought those signs of age showed a resilient and knowledgeable person. I would rather listen and see the beauty of someone who lets nature do what is natural than see someone paste on products that hide what is real and good.

I am of the opinion that it is rather nice to welcome various stages in life. Each has its own beauty. I think nature does know what it is doing. No, getting older is not a disease to me. Instead, spending and spending on anti-aging products is the problem. It is time to really look into the eyes and soul of someone who is elderly and see the true beauty within.

So, bring on the wrinkles, enjoy life and be active. Do what you are able to do and give. And when you or anyone meets someone whose skin is not flawless, see their beauty and listen to their life stories. See your own beauty and appreciate your own life stories and experiences, too.

There is a lot to be gained.